Hammer of Thor
by Fritz96
Summary: In spending time with the fellow teens of Berk, Hiccup becomes seriously injured. However, he must continue on with life, especially as the dragon conqueror; but how?
1. Chapter 1

It was late afternoon, almost evening on Berk. The sky was already changing color- a dark blue at one end and a light yellow at the other. All the green and browns around Berk began to explode in different tones. At the outskirts of the village, the teens were huddled around this particularly large, solitary pine tree that was twenty yards from the start of the forest.

"Why did you guys drag me to see this tree?" Hiccup asked turning to one teen in particular: Snotlout.

"I know. I was in the middle of my training. I rarely ever feel like using my hammer." Astrid gestured with the weapon.

"It's so big." Tuffnut said dazedly then with determination he stepped forward. "I wanna climb it." Ruffnut grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"I doubt someone could climb that." Fishlegs commented knowingly

"I bet my hammer could hit the top of it though." Snotlout reached over and grabbed Astrid's hammer. "You watch." He said with determination in his voice, pointing his fingers across all of the teens.

This just got too idiotic for Hiccup and _especially_ since Snotlout just took Astrid's weapon…he didn't want to be around. "I'm gonna go. Let me know how it turns out." He headed back to the village.

Snotlout, with the hammer in hand, went back the twenty yards to the edge of the forest. The remaining teens watched him. With a firm grip on the hammer, Snotlout ran forward towards the monumental tree. Halfway there, he stopped and chucked it. The hammer, somersaulting through the air, did reach the same height as the tip of the tree, however, whizzed past about a foot away. Ruffnut and Tuffnut erupted into laughter at Snotlout's failure. The teens continued to watch the hammer fly.

"Uh, guys, it's heading toward the village." Fishlegs warned

"HEADS UP!" Astrid yelled at the top her lungs.

The teens watched as the hammer continued to fly on a set-and-sure path in the air but now on a quick descent. They looked to where the hammer might land-Hiccup was walking to the village. The hammer continued on its path somersaulting in the process; closer and closer it got to the ground- Hiccup kept on walking. The teens watched as the large metal destructive end collided with the back of Hiccup's head. The boy instantly collapsed onto the ground.

"Hiccup" Astrid mumbled under her breath. Fear gripped her body.

**oOo**

Astrid was sitting downstairs in the chieftain house waiting for Hiccup to wake up. The healer had come and gone. She wrapped his head and said he should be fine, though he'll probably wake up with a massive headache, but to come and get her if need be. Stoik had left to go take care of some "business" in the village asking Astrid to stay and watch Hiccup. Toothless was upstairs with his rider waiting for him to arouse. _Why Hiccup? Why did she have to have her hammer with her? Well, at least it wasn't her ax cause then_…. Astrid didn't want to finish that thought. She continued to think on what brought her here-the teens got Hiccup help, brought him home, told Stoik, Astrid then went home, barely slept returning to his house the next morning finding Stoik asking her to stay and watch him. He hadn't woken up and so here she sat _all_ morning long. It made her begin to think about her future- married life. _To who? Hiccup?_ She smirked at the thought but the smile grew larger when she thought of the other eligible teen boys.

**oOo**

Hiccup could feel himself slowly enter consciousness. His head hurt; something inside was throbbing. He thought back to what happened…..he was walking away from the other teens and heard Astrid yell "HEADS UP!" Instantly he knew something went wrong and didn't want to look back to see what it was; he rather get as far away from it as possible. Then all he could remember was something _hard_ hitting him in the back of the head when all went black. Oh man- did his head hurt with an intense pounding. As Hiccup began to move his hands (and in the process, feeling his surroundings) he realized he was lying down on his bed. Slowly he opened his eyes expecting to see his bedroom ceiling but instead a rather dark world with a hint of white light above him- must be the firelight against the ceiling but why didn't it have an orange-ish glow? No matter, since it was so dark, it had to be the middle of the night so Hiccup began to reach over to the right side of his bed where he knew his nightstand was; hopefully he could light the candle. Hiccup kept reaching out into the dark abyss but couldn't find his nightstand. He reached further and further over the edge of the bed, trying to find it and in the process fell off with a loud thud. He tried to look around but all he could see was darkness. Hiccup brushed aside the panic that settled in his mind and soon felt something dry and scaly rubbing against him.

**oOo**

It was around noon when Stoik entered the house; Astrid was still sitting downstairs in a chair. She just stared at the man that stood in front of the large, wooden door. Finally the chief broke the silence.

"Hiccup?" his voice was just above a whisper, choked.

"Nothing yet." Astrid shook her head.

Suddenly a loud thud emanated from upstairs. Without thinking the two raced up; hearts pounding, blood racing. The nimble teen was first to reach the top and burst through the bedroom door to find Hiccup on the floor by the foot of his bed thanking the black dragon at his side.

"Hiccup, you okay?" Astrid's voice was rushed with concern.

"Astrid, is that you?" Hiccup, still sitting on the floor with Toothless, turned towards the direction in which he heard her voice. Why couldn't he see her? "I was just trying to light the candle on my nightstand and fell off the bed. It's so dark in here. Do you think you could light it for me?"

Astrid turned to her right and eyed Stoik. What did he mean _so dark_?

"Why are you here in the middle of the night anyway?" Hiccup asked breaking the beat of silence and the witnesses' train of thought.

What was he talking about _the_ _middle of the night_? Astrid glanced at the open window above his bed that let the noon-time sunlight just pour in. "Hiccup, it's the middle of the day."

It was silent for a moment before Stoik moved toward the boy "Come on son; let's get'cha back in bed."

Hiccup's head suddenly veered to the right supposedly where his father was. Astrid noticed his eyes seemed rather clouded. "Dad? I didn't know you were here."

_Stoik has been next to me the whole time-how could you not…..?_ Realization hit Astrid like a stone in the gut. She watched as Stoik helped Hiccup stand and feel aimlessly in front of him. He guided his hands along the bed and sat down. _He's….. blind. No. No!_ A whelm of emotions flooded through Astrid….pain, confusion, fear, anger, depression, guilt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Astrid was downstairs sitting in the chair bouncing her leg and staring at the fire pit in front of her. Stoick was pacing the floor. Toothless was lying down on the other side of the fire pit thumping his tail up and down, his gaze never leaving the door to the room above. They were all waiting for the healer to come down and confirm what they already knew- Hiccup was blind. She had been up there for sometime-_did it take this long to acknowledge that Hiccup couldn't see?_ Astrid just stared ferociously at the fire pit in front of her. A thousand questions were going through her mind: _Is this permanent? What does this mean for his future as chief? Since Hiccup can't fly Toothless, how will they get him to fly? What will happen to the dragon academy? If Hiccup gets captured by Alvin, will they kill him since he's now useless? Hiccup's not useless, not anymore, no! – He never was and he still has that marvelously configured brain….but how will he help us when he can't see the situation?_ Astrid thought back to when Hiccup saved them all, slaying the mighty beast and losing his leg. _Everything happens to Hiccup-why?_Suddenly, everyone stopped and all eyes went to the bedroom door that slowly opened and a middle aged woman exited. She had very freckly skin and faded red hair that was going gray. A bag was hanging over one shoulder with the strap diagonally across her chest and carried a staff. Slowly the woman made her way down the stairs. Astrid quickly stood up next to Stoick both intensely watching her every move. The healer first addressed the black dragon.

"You can go up but be careful with him." Toothless crept up the stairs and entered Hiccup's room. The healer stood before Astrid and Stoick and just stared at them. It seemed nothing needed to be said. The question now was how to deal with the matter at hand. Finally the woman spoke. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that Hiccup is blind, obviously from his hit in the head. This does pose a great problem however and many things will have to be done to treat it. I suggest you move his bed downstairs, make it easier for him to get around. He will constantly need help; the dragon may be a constellation but I'm sure Toothless will listen and obey Hiccup so I suggest human help and supervision. I know you're busy chiefin' Stoick so maybe Astrid can watch him." Two pairs of eyes focused on the said girl. Astrid tried to keep herself from blushing and maintain a solid face. All she could do was quickly nod in hopes the conversation would move on. "You should also know that he will be suffering mentally and psychologically. It's not easy for someone to suddenly lose their sight and adjust to their new life. It comes with dependence. And it's not easy for anyone to be independent one day and dependent the next. He will fight back and insist on doing things himself but just comfort him. Let him try and maybe help him without letting him know. Overall, I can't say exactly how he will respond to this but try to picture yourself in his shoes and how you would react. Lastly Stoick, I would tell something to the village; give them a head's up." Those words made Astrid cringe in remembrance. Stoick just nodded. "I told him to not move until one of you came up. If you need anything you know where to find me." The healer moved towards the door to leave.

"Do you know if this will be…. permanent?" Astrid asked just catching the healer before exiting, standing in the doorway.

"No, I don't and I hope not. All we can do is pray that he will get his sight back."And with that the healer closed the door and left. The two just stood there for a moment, letting the whole situation sink in.

"I'm gonna…" Stoick started to break the silence, "I'm gonna let the village know. Gobber and I will be back later to move the bed." Astrid just nodded and then Stoick left. She didn't know how long she stood there after the chief left. I probably had been a while. Her thoughts were swimming; she felt lost. Finally she headed upstairs. Astrid stopped in the doorway and looked at Hiccup. He was sitting on the bed, his head was turned towards the door as if he was trying to see who was coming in; Toothless was next to him with his head in Hiccup's lap. It hurt Astrid to see his cloudy eyes knowing that it meant he couldn't see her.

"Who's there?" It was Hiccup's question that alerted Astrid that she must have stood there awhile. She didn't mean to hurt him like that; by teasing him at a 'guess who' game.

"It's just me." Astrid walked forward and sat on the bed next to Hiccup. He didn't move. They sat there like that. Time seemed to stretch. She wasn't quite sure what to do, or what to say. Should she act like nothing happened and just continue with how life used to be? Or should she pamper to his every need? Finally she got an idea. "Would you like something to eat? I'm sure you're hungry."

"Nah, I'm good." As soon as Hiccup answered his stomach growled. Astrid chuckled.

"Yeah right. Come on, I'll go fix you something to eat." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him off the bed. Astrid helped him downstairs and sat him in a chair. Toothless, of course had followed them and sat next to his rider. She then headed over to the kitchen area at the back of the house and began to cook. She kept looking over to him sitting motionless in the chair, quiet. How could she get him to interact? "Hey do you know where the pot is?"

"Yeah," Hiccup stood up and began to walk over to the kitchen "it's in the-" he tripped over a near-by firewood pile; Toothless though quickly noticed and stuck his head underneath Hiccup to break his fall. Astrid was frozen. She watched as he scratched Toothless behind the ears as a silent thank you. The dragon helped him stand and stayed by his side guiding him to the kitchen. "It should be in the cupboard in the back. Here, help me." Astrid guided him to where he pointed. Hiccup opened the cupboard where Astrid could clearly see knives and the pots.

"Here, I see it. Why don't you let me get it?" Astrid reached forward to move Hiccup's hands away and retrieve the pot but he slapped her hands it a blind attempt to push her away.

"I can do it." Eyes wide with surprise, Astrid took a step back and watched Hiccup take out the pot and set it on the counter. He closed the cupboard and faced her, "Why don't you let me cook for the both of us?"

"No, Hiccup, I'll cook, don't worry about it. Besides you might cut yourself."

"I won't cut myself; come on Astrid-it's me." Astrid thought for a moment and pictured Hiccup holding up a knife ready to cut the vegetables that his hand was holding onto. He would be cooking in a kitchen that he couldn't see.

"No, you didn't even see the knives in the cupboard."

Hiccup blew off that hurtful comment. "So?"

"So you might hurt yourself. Now let me cook this time and I'll rearrange the cupboards so that later you won't hurt yourself. Your dad wouldn't mind that right?" _Maybe I can get him to forget about cooking later._

"My dad might not but I would. I'm the one who cooks." Astrid was silent; she didn't realize how far this 'Hiccup being blind' stretched. _He cooked_. This had to be what the healer mentioned of the independent thing. "Why don't you just let me cook?" Hiccup broke her train of thought.

"No, but if you're so determined to cook I'll let you help me." Astrid didn't want him to cook at all but she didn't want to deny Hiccup either especially after considering what he's been through; it wasn't event his fault.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Hiccup and Astrid were sitting in front of the fire pit eating their soup quietly; neither of them talked. It was surprising to realize how much we depend on our senses even in the smallest of tasks. Who knew that we used our eyes to keep a spoon level? Thus the task of eating a bowl of soup became difficult since Hiccup was trying to just that _without_ his eyesight. He would know that he tipped it when he felt warm liquid running down his chin and onto his tunic. He was so embarrassed at his clumsiness and though he never heard Astrid laugh, he knew she must pity him. Hiccup hated not being able to confirm his thoughts by analyzing her facial expression to see what she was thinking. It was also hard to know when the bowl was empty. So holding the spoon against the bowl, Hiccup brought it to his lips to try and drink any remains. When he tipped it a little on the first try, nothing came to his mouth so he tipped it further and suddenly the remaining soup came rushing out and spilled all over his face and down to his shirt. Quickly he tipped the bowl back the instant he felt the hot liquid touch his cheeks but it was too late, all the soup had already drained from the bowl.

Astrid watched Hiccup eat. Occasionally a little fell from the spoon and down his shirt. Never would she laugh at him – how could he be expected to eat perfectly the first time when he's blind?  
Then he tried to drink the rest and it spilt all over him. She felt so bad for him. _He shouldn't have to go through this._

"Here" Astrid took the bowl from his hands and handed him a napkin. She then turned, grabbed her bowl and put them in the kitchen. Hiccup was surprised that Astrid didn't try to wipe his cheeks for him. No; she let him do it. He could hear Astrid dealing with the bowls in the kitchen. Did she mind that he was blind? Hiccup wiped the sticky soup off his face and heard Astrid approach his side. He began to stand up and felt Astrid's gentle hand so that he wouldn't fall….again.

"I think I'm gonna go change my shirt."

"Oh, I'll get it for you, Hiccup."

"You don't even know where it is."

"No, but you can tell me and I'll find it."

Hiccup thought for a moment about Astrid going through his clothes drawer which had his shirts, pants, socks and…_Astrid is not going through that drawer!_ However he did need to change so that left only one option. "No, but just help me upstairs." He didn't like asking for help to get around but that was better than Astrid going through _that_ drawer. Astrid helped him upstairs and to his room. Hiccup stumbled blindly to his desk and opened the drawer. Carefully he felt to distinguish which was his shirt. Thank goodness it was the only one with strings on it, so he grabbed one, closed the drawer and turned around. He was sure that Astrid was here watching him. "Astrid?"

"Yeah?" he heard her step forward.

"Can you wait outside for me? I'll open the door when I'm done."

She did not see that coming, for Hiccup to kick her out. But then again she could understand Hiccup wanting his privacy. "Uh, sure." She walked out of the room and closed the door. Suddenly there was a crash downstairs. _Oh no! Toothless must have woken up and didn't see Hiccup._ Quickly she ran down and saw the black dragon lapping up the leftover soup in the pot just like a dog would a bowl of water. "No! Bad dragon!" She quickly ran into the kitchen and grabbed an arms load of fish from the basket and ran back to Toothless. Why did fish have to so slimy and smelly? Now she needed to change too. She dropped the pile of fish in front of him. He had stopped drinking the soup and was now staring at the bedroom door. "Don't worry, he's just changing; he's fine." The dragon turned his head to Astrid and saw the pile of fish.

**oOo**

Hiccup slowly opened the door, someone was talking downstairs. "….he's fine." _Who was Astrid talking to? Dad? Wait, what's that sound?_

"Astrid?"

Astrid looked up from Toothless to the top of the stairs and there he stood. "Hiccup!" Quickly she ran to the top to help him down. Neither spoke until they reached the bottom of the steps.

"Is anyone else here? I thought I heard you talking to someone."

"Oh, your dragon decided to eat the remaining soup from the pot." Astrid and Hiccup stopped in the living room.

Something bumped into Hiccup. He reached out his hand and felt something dry and scaly. Instantly the object whined to his touch. "Hey bud." Toothless barked in response. "Yeah, I'm okay." Toothless suddenly went crazy, running and bouncing around the room.

"Toothless, no!" Astrid began to try and chase after him but apparently he wanted to play. With a big smile on his face from enjoyment of his current activity, Toothless stopped turned around and ran the opposite direction towards Astrid, switching the chasee-chaser roles. However, the game quickly came to an end. In the process of the dragon's revolution, his tail knocked the pot of soup over spilling all over Hiccup. The two froze and stared wide-eyed at the soaked boy. Toothless walked over and licked Hiccup. He now needed a bath.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The Great Hall doors slammed shut. Something in Stoick's mind reeled back to a day not so long ago. He could see himself peering down to a young boy; a thin, scrawny kid sprawled across the floor after being rudely shoved to the ground. He then heard a voice, "You're not my son." Instantly laughter and mockery filled the room as he watched the same boy be rejected by the rest of the tribe, even a as a small child. He seemed to grow up with only these experiences of misanthropy. The next moment he saw him on top of the most coveted dragon known. Both became a tiny speck as they were chased by a monstrous dragon in which the term 'fire-breathing devil' actually fit. It suddenly clicked with him that _that _underestimated human was his son; not a boy but a young man defeating the monumental Red Death. Pride swelled within him but it suddenly faded as the next image flashed before his eyes: that same guy, _his son,_ sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed next to his beloved companion staring off into the darkness with large cloudy green eyes full of fear and panic. Blind; never to see again and the only thing he would remember of his sight was the faces of those who rejected him, pushed him away, made him an outcast. Stoick wondered if his son would remember one kind face of those he knew, besides the dark scaly best friend of his. Movement next to him caught his attention and pulled him from his thoughts.

"Stoick?" Gobber whispered.

"Is this everybody?" the chief asked as he scanned across the crowd before him trying to mentally complete a roll call.

"Eh, I don't know. You don't normally call an emergency meeting. Hard to get this many this many people as it was."

"Well, I guess it's enough. Word spreads around fast enough anyway." He said with one last look amongst the collection of Vikings in front of him. He made his way to the center and stepped up on top the wooden plank encompassing the oval fire pit. Instantly the audience hushed. "Some of you have heard rumors of my son being injured; they're true." Gasps spread like wild fire across the crowd. _How should I tell them? How it happened? No, that wouldn't be good; I don't really know about that anyway. Blatantly then?_ He took a deep breath, "He's blind. I know you have a bunch of questions. Frankly, so do I."

Four teens stood in the back corner each having different reactions to the chief's announcement. Ruffnut was smiling wide and nodding, anxious to see the mentioned victim. Her brother was chucking. Fishlegs had his hands covering his mouth and his eyes wide with shock collaborated to his solemn and horrified facial expression. Snotlout simply let a small smirk grow.

"But we all have to help him," the chief continued, "in any way possible."

**oOo**

Astrid stared at the now soaked Hiccup; Toothless was licking him. He was gonna need a bath. She went over to the back of the house and dragged out the bath tub. She then put a pot of water over the fire.

Hiccup heard the movement of metal things. "What are you doing?"

"Hiccup, you_ have_ to take a bath." She had to make that part clear. She really didn't want to bathe him and figured he didn't want that either so in the meantime she was trying to figure out another way.

Hiccup was silent for a moment before he responded. "Okay but what are _you_ doing?"

The room fell silent as awkward comprehension swirled through the air. Two teens, each of the opposite gender and the blind one needed a bath. Tension rose as time slowed with neither teen talking. Finally Astrid spoke.

"What do you suggest I do?

"Uh, well…." Could he just blatantly tell her that he didn't want her to wash him?

"Do you want me to get Fishlegs or….." She thought about the other male teens, "Fishlegs or maybe your dad or Gobber?"

"No."

"Well, you can't just change your clothes 'cause you got soup all over you so how will you get clean?"

The anger and irritation that had been slowly rising within Hiccup now began to double its rate of escalation. "I don't know but I'm not about to let someone wash me."

"Well-" Astrid was interrupted.

"Just because I'm blind doesn't me I don't know how to do things."

"I know, it just means you need help. Now I don't want to have to wash you either but _please_ make this easier on me by letting me help you _somehow_." She was frustrated but could sense tears welt up in her eyes, she felt like crying. This wasn't fair for Hiccup. The temples in her head began to throb; she was getting a headache-maybe from all the emotional chemicals flooding her body.

Hiccup's anger was suddenly slowly diminishing. He was still irritated but something in him became rather curious. "This isn't easy for you?" _Why shouldn't it be? She could see!_

"No, but I know it would be a lot easier if we were already married."

The world seemed to stop. _What did she just say?_

Hiccup's anger and irritation immediately fled; he was stunned. Astrid wanted to marry him; did she love him? Still experiencing shock, a giddy emotion was being aroused inside him.

Astrid did not mean to say that, it just slipped out. However, she was thinking about it the whole time in the back of her head. Oh, she felt sick. This was a nightmare; a horrible, horrible nightmare. Hiccup was hurt, blind, helpless and now she just spilled her guts. She wanted to wake up, wanted everything to be back to the way it was. But no, this wasn't a dream or a figment of her imagination; it was reality. She took a deep breath; her mind was going numb. The thoughts that had gripped and sped through her mind faded and she became aware of her surroundings. She stared at Hiccup; he was frozen, a blank expression on his face, still wet from the soup. Astrid went over to the pot of now warm water and poured it into the tub. She then scooted a side table next to the tub and put needed utensils on it. "Everything's there for you to take your bath. I'll be outside." With that she rushed out the door and sat on the step staring out and the unusually quiet village.

**oOo**

Hiccup laid in bed that night thinking about what occurred earlier that evening. It wasn't until Astrid shut the door did he really come out of his daze. What a fool he must have been! She must have stood there awhile waiting for him and he did nothing; just stood there while his heart soared and his mind tried to comprehend her statement. He quickly tried to take a bath but found it rather difficult when you couldn't see what tool you grabbed to scrub. He knew it must have been awhile 'cause just after he got dressed his dad came home talkin' about supper. Astrid had left and honestly, he didn't blame her.

**oOo**

Two men sat at a table in a hut high atop Berk. The room was an eerie dark; the fire on the otherside of the room created a red-orange illumination adding to the heinous atmosphere.

"Why shouldn't I kill ya?" the larger of the two asked. His round rugged beard was ebony, skin a deathly gray and blue eyes that were merciless as the stared down to a raggedy elderly man with aqua eyes ready to deceive.

"You're after the dragon conqueror and I want Berk rid of dragons." He was determined to get what he wanted.

The preponderant man eyed the baaing sheep at the feet of the kooky old man. "Why? You're of Berk!"

"Yes, but it has changed ever since that _boy_ brought the blasted beasts to live among us. I see it that if we work together, we can both get what we want."

"I know how to get that boy," the domineering man stood, "why, get 'im alone. Bork week is next week. They'll be too busy to miss 'im." He turned to leave.

"No!" the wrinkly elderly man with a long scratchy beard and a peculiar gap in the middle stood up after him "He's too precious for 'em. They'll go after him whether it's Bork week or not! You have to use a discording method."

The physically sturdy and sound man walked back over to the table and sat down. "Okay…."

* * *

Believe it or not, I originally did not have this chapter as long as it is now. A few of your reviews started the clogs to reel in my head with ideas of additions to it and so, ta-dah! I'm glad I was able to complete this in time for my update and not make you have to wait. Again, thank you for your reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

I would like to thank those of you who continue to support me in my efforts of effectively transforming my thoughts and the images in my head into words on paper; or on the internet in this case. Every review is very much appreciated. It then disheartens me to relay some bad news. As a junior in high school, I am currently under immense (school-affiliated) stress. Those of you who are likewise juniors, seniors or have already graduated understand this academic crunch. Thus I regret to inform you that I will not be able to update as frequently as I have in the past couple of weeks. My new goal is to update as often as I can without endangering my schoolwork. Depending on this week unfolds (the next day I update) will be my new writing schedule which will probably be every 5-6 days. This will be in effect until _at least_ May 15. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience. Now, on to a cheery note: chapter 5.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

It was the next morning. Astrid had gone to bed with a terrible headache. Even though she didn't want to think about last night, she couldn't avoid what happened; it was a nightmare. She walked through the village towards his house. Her nerves began to rise in tension from the concern of what would happen today considering yesterday. She was apprehensive. However, she was Astrid. So she put on her Viking face and walked up to the steps leading to his house. As she approached the door, Stoick came out.

"He's sitting at the table eating." They were silent. A conversation that spoke volumes seemed to pass between them but neither said a word. A weird sense of understanding swirled around them. Finally Stoick spoke. "I, uh, I have to be going." He moved around the blonde teen and walked to the village. Astrid opened the door and entered the house. Sure enough he was at the table with Toothless by his side.

"Morning," she greeted with a cheerful voice. She wouldn't play 'guess who' again; he probably heard the door and knew someone was here anyway. He didn't respond; he just sat there silent until a moment later Toothless nudged him.

**oOo**

Someone walked in. "Morning." _Astrid! She seems so happy. Is she avoiding what happened yesterday or is she waiting for me to say __something__. But what if she is avoiding and then I say something? Or what if she is waiting for something and I say nothing? Oh, this is all so messed up!_ Suddenly, Hiccup felt Toothless nudge him. _Oh no! I must have been quiet. Great!_ He quickly stood up causing the chair to scoot back and him to wobble. "Hey." He said with his lopsided smile.

Astrid chuckled and walked to his side. "You sure you're awake? You seem kind of sleepy."

"Yeah, I'm fine. If anything I would want this to be a dream so I _can_ wake up." Astrid's breath caught in her throat- Hiccup likewise thought of this as a nightmare.

"Yeah, me too." Astrid mumbled under her breath. She grabbed the plates from the table and headed over to the wash bucket. She contemplated whether she wanted him to hear the comment or not; she wouldn't know it but he did. Hiccup headed towards the door, Astrid neglected to notice the dragon at his side. "Woah, woah, woah; where do you think you're going?"

Hiccup smirked at the triggered memory. Both he and his dragon stopped in the open doorway. "To dragon training." Toothless barked in agreement nodding to Astrid in approval. She glared at the two.

**oOo**

Astrid wasn't quite sure what just happened. She had adamantly told Hiccup 'no' but found herself walking beside him and Toothless through the village. However, they both stopped when they began to overhear a conversation.

Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and of course Fishlegs were walking through the village.

"He's blind; he won't know what's coming." Snotlout waved his hand downward as he was trying to wave off the doubt of his fellow peers. Immediately anger rose in Astrid; he caused Hiccup's blindness now he was going to do something else to him.

"Yeah, but its _Hiccup._" Fishlegs voice peeked.

"Exactly, all the more reason why-"

"-why you shouldn't." Snotlout's eyes widened and turned to face the person who interrupted him. Astrid stared at the four teens; behind her was Hiccup next to a growling Toothless. Everyone was quiet. "Don't you think you've done enough for him already? Or should I say _to_ him? A few weeks ago your stubbornness caused him to be stuck on Outcast Island, allowed him to be captured by them while _you_ were there. Did you ever help him try to get the both of you off that island? Plus also whatever else you got yourself into that I have no inkling about in which he probably came to your rescue. How he was able to put up with you, I don't know. You also disobeyed his orders in taking care of Johan. You're always ready to abandon him! Should I begin to mention what you did in our childhood including all the mockery that you still continue to this day? Honestly, the only time I can recall in which you hindered to him was when we _helped_ fight the Red Death. And why? Because it was cool. Yet after all you've done, he still saves you and has not even cursed you for all the trouble you caused him. And now your foolishness caused him to be blind, perhaps permanently, and all you can think about is what worse to do to him?!"

Suddenly they heard a sigh and Hiccup began to walk away. "Now where do you think you're going?" Annoyance was clear in Astrid's voice.

"Does it matter?" Something subconsciously stopped Hiccup from continuing his argument.

"You can't see where you're going."

"Astrid, I may not be able to see where I'm going but I have been through the village many times before when I did have my sight; I have it memorized." At that moment, Hiccup tripped on a rock falling flat on his face.

Snotlout leaned into the twins, "Everything _except_ the rock." Instantly they began to chuckle. Astrid turned sharply on her heels and glared harshly at the teens. The laughter stopped; she still stared at them with intensity until she was sure they would not do anything worse. She then turned to help Hiccup with his struggle of getting on his feet; he swatted her away with an angry moan. Somehow he must've known Toothless was at his side because he climbed on top of the dragon, tapped the top of the dry scaly head and Toothless took off at a run. "Hiccup!" The boy and dragon absconded out of sight. Angry, she turned back around to the four teens. Though Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs were returning their attention to her, Snotlout was rubbing his finger in his ear and staring off into space. He started to whistle as he pulled his finger out and rubbed it against his other fingers now intently watching their movement. Astrid was going to have a nice conversation if she could contain the surfacing conniption.

* * *

In case you're wondering, the events Astrid mentioned in her rant were in episodes _Defiant One_ and _Breakneck Bog_ (besides Snotlout's usual ridicule in other episodes). I've reluctantly decided to time this before the season finale. Thanks for reading chapter 5.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

She didn't see him again the rest of the day. Astrid was concerned. She walked up to his house; it was a little after the expected dinner time and the sun had just set with a dimmingly faint orange glow still looming on the tip of the horizon. She stood at the door and knocked-no answer. Astrid had seen Stoick at the Great Hall before coming here; but what about Hiccup? After standing there for a minute she decided to enter. There across the room was the boy lying on the bed and his dragon on the floor. He didn't move –asleep. She silently left.

Astrid returned the next morning just after breakfast. She knew that Hiccup and Toothless liked to go for early morning flights but wasn't Hiccup smart enough to _not _do so in his condition? After knocking on the door, she was greeted with the same response as last time: no answer. Upon entering she quickly discovered that no one was home. Now she was mad- _Hiccup had better not gone out flying!_ Outside of her chores, Astrid spent the day looking for him. She checked the cove, the forge, the Great Hall and even flew on Stormfly to get an aerial perspective of Berk but didn't spot him anywhere. Just as the sun set, she decided to check his house before calling it a day. The boy was asleep in his bed again with Toothless curled up on the floor. Astrid stormed home. _Ooh, that is it! Where had he gone exactly?! _She laid in the bed that night staring at the wooden beam ceiling contemplating the actions her friend had enacted by analyzing every detail in her mind trying to dissect and discover his hidden motive. _He couldn't have stayed home all day-in his condition; no one would want to. So where did he go?_

This time she went even earlier in the morning. If she couldn't talk to Hiccup, she would ask Stoick if he knew anything. What surprised her was finding Stoick leaving his house this early.

"He's still sleeping. I'm just going to go get breakfast at the Great Hall." Though he tried to show a chiefly character, the young woman could detect the depression in his voice.

"Okay, I'll just wait for him." She walked inside and spotted the lump on the bed blanketed by a quilt. She then eyed the kitchen and saw some dishes next to the wash bucket. _Why not?_ It would give her something to do while she'd wait. She was not more than ten minutes through her task when she realized that the only noise emanating throughout the house was her. She paused and listened- absolute quiet; not even the sound of Toothless breathing. _Toothless!_ She had completely forgotten. The young teen turned around to look towards the bed, Toothless wasn't curled up around the bed. Suspicious, the blond teen placed the dish aside, dried her hands and approached the side of the bed. The being was still there but she couldn't distinctly make out the shape of a body-or a head for that matter. Quickly grapping the blanket, she threw it away revealing a line of pillows. _Pillows? Pillows!_ She had to give him credit but not now because she was choleric and had chores that needed to get done. Astrid stormed out of the house.

She told herself she didn't care and wouldn't worry. That afternoon, she found herself in the Haddock home trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle, again. _If he was gone early in the morning, before anyone was up, and in bed before anyone came home, then he should be coming home about now._ She sat in a chair gazing about the room until something caught her eye. One spot of the floor next to the bed wasn't gleaming from the sunlight that streamed in from the window. Curious, she walked over and then noticed another clump by the back door. _Where was he going to be dragging mud in here?_ She walked out the back and scanned the ground looking for a particular footprint. Well, more like a square imprint made by the lack of a second foot. There over in the bush was…._a notebook?_ She picked it up and opened it, immediately able to identify it as his. Her heart broke as she finished reading the last and most recent page. She looked up trying to get any evoking tears back to where they belong. Something caught her eye. In the middle of the rock cliff in front of her was something red swishing back and forth just like ….

**oOo**

Hiccup sat with Toothless on a cliff ledge that over looked the village. It was a rather large ledge, almost like an open cave in the middle of the mountain. There was a small trail that the two would take reach this mysterious flat spot in the middle of the rock cliff. They would spend the whole day up here whether to listen and, in essence, see what was happening in Berk or to be alone, letting his mind churn the whole situation. They first came here after the encounter with the teens. Hiccup knew it would be no use to try dragon training with _their_ behavior. His dad, since not having talked with him, was most likely avoiding him, probably having Astrid constantly watch over him which would explain why she was constantly supervising him. Was his father ashamed of him, again? He was back to his original position of being the village nuisance. For the past three days he would try to write down these chagrin thoughts in his journal though today he dropped it 'cause the useless reptile had the wise idea of trying to fly. His current contemplation was how to find it before anyone else did. Overall, Hiccup liked being able to spend time and play with Toothless. It was like the days when it was just them; though he had begun to miss the human company. There the two sat one blindly staring out into the unknown world in front of him.

"It's a beautiful view huh?"

Both the boy and the dragon spun around to face the voice they heard behind them though only one could see who it was. Astrid walked forward and sat next to Hiccup. It was silent for a moment before she resumed.

"You must feel horrible to just up and disappear. You're really good at hiding, you know. I was searching for you like crazy these past few days –in the cove, the forge, the air- but I could never find you. And whenever I checked your house, you were either sleeping or gone. It wasn't until I noticed Toothless' tail swishing in the middle of the cliff that I did." Hiccup sat still, staring out in front of him. _Thanks bud. _Astrid continued. "Your dad's been very depressed; he's concerned about you." She paused, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm concerned about you."

* * *

Thank you for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

He sat there, staring out into nothingness absolutely quiet._ She was concerned about him. _His heart strings were being pulled but suddenly they stopped and the feeling his chest turned to fear and concern. He heard something; his brow began to furrow.

"Hiccup?"

"Sh." Still seated, he turned around (away from the cliff) and began to crawl towards the edge on the other side of Toothless (his right).

"Hiccup," her voice was firm.

Hiccup paused and faced her. "Astrid, be quiet." He whispered sharply then continued crawling. Astrid, now stunned and a little curious, joined Hiccup leaning over the edge and peering down into the forest on the outskirts of Berk. "Do you see anything?" He asked.

Astrid looked harder to see such _anything,_ squinting her eyes focusing hard on detecting whatever had interested Hiccup. Abruptly, she noticed movement and began to hear voices but couldn't make out what was being said; she needed to get closer. Quickly scanning her surroundings, she spotted a smaller ledge about 200 feet below. She turned and looked at Toothless, he nodded somehow understanding. She grabbed his tail and proceeded back to the edge. "Hiccup, stay here." With that she jumped off the edge using Toothless' tail as a rock climber would a rope. Quickly she managed to slide down to the ledge below. Astrid crouched low to the dirt, and intently listened.

"What if Stoick _and _the boy both come home?" said one voice.

"Leave Stoick to me," Astrid's eyes widened. She knew the treacherous man that voice belonged to.

"What if it's someone else besides Stoick?" said another.

"Yeah, remember the blonde girl?" the first voice asked again

"Hold Astrid against 'im." Alvin answered. _Oh great, he remembers my name; how flattering._ "Remember he's the dragon conqueror."

"And the dragon?" Astrid could finally recognize that voice as Savage's. Alvin must have been really thinking for once since he paused before answering.

"Capture it. Now enough questions. We move after dark." The bushes rattled informing Astrid that they had walked away.

Cautiously, she reached Toothless' tail and climbed back up to the ledge to Hiccup. She looked with concern into his curious face. His eyes were intense and focused showing knowledge. He seemed to be scared but pushing his panic aside ready and _willing_ to protect and serve. She knew that he would prepare himself to safeguard the village; so how to tell him without getting him to do such a thing? Her only plan was to spit it out and run, making sure she left him safely in the dust. "It's Alvin; he's here and planning to get you. I have to warn the village; _stay here_." She stood up and began to head back towards the town. _Make sure he's protected. _"Oh, and Toothless, shoot anyone that's not from Berk." The dragon nodded in understanding. She paused, "well, except Mildew; just go easy on him."

Astrid ran back to Berk careful to not step on anything that would alert of her position. For once, she was happy that Hiccup was not in the village. Something whooshed by her side; still running she glanced over to see only shrubbery but upon returning her attention ahead, she saw glowing green eyes staring intently at her. Stopping on impulse, she realized just who it was. On top of the black dragon was a skinny boy clinging for dear life.

"Hiccup! _What_ do you think you're doing?!" She glanced around the forest's edge, scanning for any spying Outcasts.

"Astrid, they're after _me_. I'm gonna have to be involved. Now tell me everything you heard."

"But Hiccup-" Suddenly they heard a twig snap, Astrid changed her mind. "Fine, okay, you win." She hopped on the black dragon and relayed her eavesdropping as they made a mad dash for the village. The three stopped well within.

"You go get the teens." he told her as she jumped off.

"But Hiccup…..what do you-"

"Hey, Hiccup!" Tuffnut yelled. Astrid turned to see the group of four teens running towards them.

"Never mind." Hiccup mumbled under his breath. If one came, odds are so did the rest. "Okay guys listen; Alvin's here and is waiting to ambush. He's after me, again. So we're gonna have to distract him."

**oOo**

All the teens were in front of the forge preparing for Hiccup's plan, a second time. He stood in the middle of the entrance, instructing what needed to be done; he hoped they complied.

"Did you put the dragon eggs in the box?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, but I don't see why." Tuffnut responded.

"Uh, like you said: destruction. Now put it in the middle of the ramp that leads to the docks."

"Wouldn't we want it in the village for _better_ destruction?"

"Not for Alvin. Now, go put it on the docks. Ruffnut, when Alvin gets to it, soak the area and him with the gas and-"

"But wouldn't Alvin breathe in the gas?" Astrid interrupted.

"Exactly; and once he's at the crate, give him everything you got."

As the teens walked away, Astrid grabbed Hiccup's arm and pulled him aside. She held him by the shoulders, her face merely inches from his.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She wasn't doubtful_, _just _concerned_.

"Astrid, I'll be fine." His voice was calm, soothing and conciliatory but stern and full of reassurance. "It's me."

But that was the issue, it was him! She didn't want to think about the crazy illogic that is somehow always incorporated into his impetuous plans. Last time he did something 'crazy' (just followed by something stupid), he joined the amputees. And this time? No, no, no, no, no, no; she wouldn't let him go; but he was their only hope, just like last time and hey, everything turned out okay. She gazed into the cloudy radiating forest green eyes full of knowledge, innocence and understanding; even in their current state. Her arbitrary mind said an absolutely, positively firm 'no' but her heart spoke otherwise. She depressingly released her hold of him and took a couple steps back. "Just promise me it won't go wrong." But before Hiccup could respond, she ran off to Stormfly, ready to follow the plan.

Hearing the sound of leaving footsteps, Hiccup turned to Toothless. "Remember bud, don't go anywhere near Alvin without me." The dragon nuzzled and whined disappointingly and his rider returned the gesture. _Why does going into battle hurt more than coming out of it?_

* * *

You know what happens next…..

I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than the others; I can guarantee that the following will be longer. However, when they will be posted I cannot say. My AP test is rapidly approaching so my precious time is being dedicated to that (which is probably why I do not find this to be a satisfying chapter); meaning I will not be posting often, so please bear with me. I want to thank you all for your support, encouragement and for reading (and hopefully enjoying) my story.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Hiccup walked up slowly towards his house, _alone_. His mind was recalculating the whole strategy, making sure that everything would work. Subconsciously he pleaded with four teens to do as their told.

"Hello 'iccup."

The dragon conqueror stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of the rough voice that came from in front of him. _Alvin took the bait_. Suddenly there was a thud further in front of him that can only be explained by a dragon landing.

"Hello Alvin."

Surprised, the Outcast leader spun around to see a young blonde Viking stationed on top of a blue Nadder. Suddenly, there was a big explosion over at the edge of the forest that caught his attention. Flying above was a Gronckle and Nightmare both watching the Outcasts running and screaming out of the woods chased by a pair of teens on top a Zippleback laughing and giving each other a fist-pump. Alvin grunted angrily and turned to see Hiccup running off further into Berk.

**oOo**

"What am I going to do, Gobber?" The Berk chief and his blacksmith friend were outside the Great Hall. "I never see him anymore besides sleepin'. He won't talk to me."

"Have ye ever considered talkin' _to_ ta boy?"

A loud explosion off on the right interrupted their conversation. Smoke was rising; three teens were riding their dragons. The sapphire Nadder came rushing towards them.

"Sir," the leucous female addressing him had concern etched into her face, "it's Alvin."

The chief's eyes grew wide for a moment before narrowing. "Gobber, rally up the villagers for a counter attack." Then he ran toward the building mayhem.

**oOo**

At the sound of Astrid's voice, Hiccup turned and ran. He would need to get as close to the docks and Toothless as possible if he hoped to stop Alvin. It wasn't until he realized he hadn't fallen yet did it strike him that he could virtually see where he was going. In his mind, he could somehow discern his surroundings and what path to take. _See Astrid, I told you I had this place memorized._

Alvin had seen Hiccup run off and, of course, chased him but where was the boy going? The large Outcast with a round beard ran along the outskirts of Berk in an attempt to be unnoticed. He assumed that Hiccup walking alone to his house would have been the perfect opportunity to snatch him; apparently not, but no time to change plans now, he was here and wouldn't leave without his dragon trainer. The man ran faster trying to cut off the boy from wherever he was going. As the road ahead of him came to a dead end, he turned to the left in the direction of his prey. However, he was now disorientated. The barbaric man (coincidentally) stopped in front of the path towards the docks as he tried to relocate the boy; here he came. Alvin hid behind the nearest building, waiting for his prey. Just as Hiccup approached he jumped out and grabbed the teenager. The walking fishbone immediately tried to wiggle his way out of the grasp, walling his arms and kicking but not it the direction of his captor. The thrashing suddenly stopped out of knowledge that it wasn't hitting anything. Hiccup didn't face the large man. Alvin, curious, waved a hand in front of the dragon conqueror's face; he didn't respond. A large smile grew on Alvin's face as he chuckled. _Yep, something definitely went wrong._

**oOo**

Stoick, Gobber, the dragon riders and some villagers bombarded the attack of Outcasts. It was rather refreshing to exercise muscles through hitting, punching, kicking and other tactics not used since the last dragon fight. With a large village against a group of approximately ten Outcasts, defeating and capturing them did not take long especially with the newly fond use of scaly companions.

"Astrid!" the Viking chief called out to the blue Nadder flying by, "Where's Hiccup?"

"We're supposed to meet him at the docks once we're done here." The girl flew off towards the other teens.

Stoick scanned amongst the captured Outcasts, eyes widening in realization of the true weight behind that statement when he couldn't spot their leader.

**oOo**

Alvin glanced around; he could hear explosions in the distance knowing that it meant that now was his time to easily escape. There, at the bottom of the docks was a small row boat perfectly ready for leaving. Grasping his prize securely, he ran down the docks.

**oOo**

Astrid and the other teens flew to the harbor. There they spotted Alvin, carrying Hiccup, running down the wooden plank; Toothless chasing towards the ramp after them. _What happened?_ When hearing a sucking sound next to her, she turned to see the twin's Zippleback preparing to fire. "What are you doing?!"

"Hiccup said destruction." Tuffnut excitedly answered.

She looked back towards the mentioned leader; Alvin was getting closer to the box. "Hiccup?!" She yelled, concerned.

"Astrid?" He knew what she was thinking. "Just do it!"

Alvin, fully aware of the teens' presence, ran faster towards a now glowing crate. The twins flew down soaking the area with the gas.

"But-" she was still uncertain.

"Astrid, if we don't, Alvin will get away with Hiccup and/or put him in worse danger." Fishlegs explained.

She looked down to Toothless who was at the top of the docks looking over and watching with sad and scared eyes. He simply nodded. Alvin was now running as fast as he could and firmly holding Hiccup. The twins, done befogging the area with the Zippleback's fumes, returned to the rest of the group.

The Outcast leader's contumacious pride kept him going. He would win, nothing will stop that. He tried to not breathe in the green gas thickly surrounding them. Barely able to see five feet in front of him, he just could make out a wooden crate in his way. A little woozy from the gas that he did inhale, the large man jumped over it and in the midst of doing so, it violently exploded. The dragons fired also causing a large eruption of destruction, fire and smoke.

Astrid watched as the wooden box, containing several dragon eggs, erupted and each teen's dragon firing their own shots, Toothless included. With the amount of gas, everything fulminated. Smoke was everywhere, it could be compared to the last major fulmination they all experienced and just like last time, they waited for it to dissipate and see what happened. Slowly and surely the smoke towards the top began to clear and reveal a gaping hole in the wooden ramp, right where the crate used to be. Her heartbeat began to quicken.

**oOo**

Stoick had joined Toothless' side and watched as everything turned into fire and smoke with his son in the midst of it all. The brevity in waiting for the smoke to clear was agony. He couldn't take it anymore and ran down to find his son. "Hiccup!" he yelled; Toothless was following him.

Stoick stopped at the giant gap in front of him. Stunned, he breathed deeply and tried to keep back the oncoming tears. _Hiccup._ Toothless' bark caught his attention and he turned to see the Night Fury motion across the hole. He sat upon Toothless' back and jumped across. The two continued on the path towards the bottom where they were quickly joined by Astrid.

The greenish smoke was still clearing. Rubble and wooden planks were everywhere. The three scanned they area, looking for a sign. Suddenly Toothless began to growl. There was a low groan from the other end of the dock. Something large was trying to stand up though it was wobbling back and forth, lethargic from what it experienced. It could only be defined by one word: Alvin. The three ran over, Astrid and Toothless stopping short as a furious Stoick continued and punched the nefarious man, causing him to fall to the ground. He then grabbed Alvin by the front of his cloak and raised him.

"Where's my son?!" the red-haired chief demanded.

"Come, Stoick, you don't need that runt. You should be thanking me, I did you a favor." Stoick raised one hand high and in a fist, aimed at the abhorrent face.

Astrid, who had been watching the whole thing, heard a scratching noise to her left side and abruptly turned to her head to see Toothless digging through the charred piles of wood, using his nose to pry around. Suddenly he stopped, reared his head back and barked then continued his search, moving even faster than before. "What is it?" Approaching his left side, she peered over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. Again he stopped, and retreated his head. There was Hiccup's prosthetic, a darker gray than usual with black smudges here and there; but what concerned her was the smoke vapors that rose from it. _If this being metal is smoking then….._Astrid quickly joined in and began furiously tearing apart the pile of charred wood. She didn't care if her hands got burned from touching the wood- in which some spots was still burning and glowing red- she had to find Hiccup. Suddenly her fingers ran along something soft; she paused and looked- his dusty, dirty, ash-filled, brown auburn hair. With new vigor, she dug faster; Toothless by her side also contributing. Both stopped when they had completely uncovered him. His body was quiescent and lax; limp and unconscious. His skin was pale causing the various and numerous burns scattered on his body to appear predominantly red. Astrid gently brushed the hair out of his face; his skin was hot to the touch. "Oh, Hiccup," She whispered. The smoke was now clearing to allow the last rays of the vibrant red orange sun to shine on a safe Berk before dipping over the horizon; along with Astrid's joy.

* * *

I have a few things I need to discuss about with you. First of all, how many of you would like a sequel? (Don't worry, this is not the last chapter; the next one is.) If so, any plot ideas/suggestions? I do have an idea of my own but am still trying to formulate the story. Also, if not a sequel, I have two other story ideas. The first is called _Bits of Berk_ which will be a collection of sequential one-shots that create an overall story. The second is actually the first Fanfiction story I started to write: "A young girl and her family move to Berk. She takes an avid interest in dragons, especially the Night Fury, spending a lot of time around the fire breathing reptile and coincidentally his owner (which does not go unnoticed). However, how do the teens react when she suddenly disappears?" Ironically, I do not have a title for this story (so if you prefer this one, a title suggestion would be very helpful) nor have I finished writing it. Last but not least, would you prefer the last chapter soon (which would mean having to wait longer until I get the next story going) or would you want to wait the 5-6 days allowing me more time to consult over your responses? So, in a review (or PM, whichever you prefer), please respond to me with your preference. Thank you for your cooperation and your reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It was noon the next day. The teens had gathered in the living room of the Haddock house waiting for Hiccup to wake up. They were sitting around the fire pit chatting.

"What is it with Hiccup and explosions?" Tuffnut asked turning the tide of the conversation.

"I know. Does he want to go out with a big bang?" Ruffnut answered.

"Well, since he's worked in the forge every since he was little, he's good at working with fire and smoke." Fishlegs explained.

"Yeah, he's an excellent match." Snotlout snickered.

Astrid was sitting next to Toothless on the far side of the fire place. She held a steady gaze off into the corner of the other side of the room where the now two-time hero was lying in bed. She was too numb and depressed to care what the others were saying. Her thoughts were whirling, again. Her gaze shifted down to the floor. _What had gone wrong? I should have gone with him. Stormfly could have taken care of the Outcasts by herself. _ The image of Hiccup held tightly in Alvin's arms as he ran down the docks flashed before her. "Just do it!" he yelled. _Why? Did he know what he was doing? He would be exposed to all that Zippleback gas like Alvin. He would be in the midst of the explosion, like Alvin. He would get hurt….or killed._ She lifted her head returning her gaze back to the boy in bed. _Hiccup always had a way of getting us out of trouble, saving us; but put himself on the line to do so. Did he not know any better? After all, we had…._her whole childhood flashed before her eyes. She could see herself witnessing the ridicule and mockery Hiccup had been given; always being criticized for his maladroit behavior and seen as abject. She had never joined in in disparaging the boy but never did anything to stop it either. With a sigh, she lowered her gaze to the floor. Her mind played the battle with the Red Death again. He'd rather expiate himself than others. _Why?_

Suddenly Toothless left his place next to hers and walked over to the side of the bed. The teens had all stopped to watch him. He leaned into Hiccup's face before quickly rearing back and quietly barked before returning his snout into his best friend's face.

**oOo**

Hiccup felt himself slowly enter consciousness. He felt sore. He could hear talking but couldn't decipher the words. He felt hot air on his cheek for a moment. Gradually he opened his eyes and saw the wooden beamed ceiling of his house; but before he could process it, there was a bark next to him. Slowly he turned his head to see two large radiating green eyes staring at him. "Hey, bud." The dragon nuzzled him excitedly. "Yeah, it's good to see….." _To see_… Hiccup continued to watch his dragon snuggle up next to him. Toothless was really there; a giant collection of black scales with a pair of glowing green eyes eagerly jumping all over him. He…he could see! Abruptly the dragon stopped and opened his mouth where a large, light pink tongue came forth. _Oh no._ Hiccup quickly shut his eyes and tried to used his arms in defense and brace for impact but it was too late; something slimy and wet was already lapping up the side of his face. Yep, that confirmed it, he had his sight back.

**oOo**

The teens watched Toothless by Hiccup's side. Then there was a voice. "Hey, bud. Yeah, it's good to see…." It stopped. The dragon suddenly stopped bouncing around the small boy and licked him; but what astonished them was Hiccup's reaction. He closed his eyes and braced himself. Did he actually…? Could he…? They each ran over shouting his name.

Hiccup sat up, dumbfounded at the sight of four teens at the foot of his bed excitedly calling him, asking him questions and rambling loquaciously about how much they enjoyed yesterday evening. There was Fishlegs, the twins- Ruffnut and Tuffnut- and Snotlout. Wait a minute, why was there a faint purple coloring around Snotlout's left eye? Last night? Nah, if it was just last night it wouldn't be faded. He quickly put the dots together of what Astrid had done after he ran away on Toothless a few days ago. A smile spread on his lips and his guests would never know what it really was for. Suddenly the door slammed loudly and his father was at his side in the blink of an eye.

"My boy, you okay?" Stoick, relieved to behold Hiccup sitting up and awake, reached out a hand onto the brown auburn head.

"Hey, Dad." Hiccup greeted as his hair was being ruffled.

It suddenly occurred to Stoick that his son had shut his eyes and braced for the touch. Did he really see it coming? Stoick stopped and looked down to Hiccup. His eyes were wide, green and happy lacking the cloudiness that they previously displayed. "Son?" He barely tried to restrain the hope and excitement rising in his chest.

"Yeah, Dad, I can see."

**oOo**

Astrid watched as all the teens were crowding around Hiccup, yammering away. He was awake, good. She stood up and walked out of the house; Stoick was on his way up. He stopped as soon as he saw her. His eyes widened, probably from fear and worry.

"He's up." She said and continued walking. This immediately concerned the chief causing him to wonder why she would be so depressed and walk away if his son was awake. He ran up to the house.

Astrid could hear the door slam. She walked towards the forest, her head down facing the ground; her eyes observing the dirt and grass rushing through her eyesight. Suddenly, there was a large brown root in front of her. She stopped and looked up; a large solitary pine tree stood beside her. She returned her attention towards the forest and simply patted the tree, remembering what happened almost a week ago. She continued forward, just walking through the forest. She had no idea where she was going nor did she really care; not paying attention to her surroundings. She didn't bring her axe with her; didn't feel like training. She just kept walking until her body subconsciously jumped pulling her out of her daze. Ahead of her was small tunnel. At the end of it was a large cove, _thee cove_. With a sigh, the blond Viking sat down overlooking the immensely sized nature nook. Her thoughts reeled to Hiccup. This was where she met him and Toothless. Her mind calculated for a moment the possible events that could have happened here between the two that she didn't know about but it quickly returned to the present. _Hiccup was awake- that's nice. He could see-that's good….so why am I not happy?_ She should be happy after all this is what she wanted, right? She closed her eyes with a sigh and somehow fell asleep. It was about evening when Astrid awoke. She hadn't slept that well in a while. Noticing the change in the time, Astrid headed back to the village. Not many Vikings were out and about meaning they were all in the Great Hall for dinner. Upon entering, she was surprised to see such a pandemonium. It's usually never this busy unless…that was it- a celebration for Hiccup. Immediately she was able to spot him, standing amongst his father, Gobber and the rest of the teens. They were having a good time, laughing and smiling. She quickly grabbed a plate with a chicken drumstick on it and sat down at a table by herself.

**oOo**

Hiccup was having a good time. The village was throwing a party, for _him_; it was great, a nice get together but the one person who would make this a real party, was not here. With his newly regained eyesight, he couldn't wait to see Astrid; it was the first face he longed to see. Ironically, it's gonna be the last. He was in the middle of hearing a joke when something caught his eye; it was her, sitting over by the door all alone. The group around him erupted into laughter but he didn't care, he kept his eyes on her. Suddenly, her head turned upward and she faced him. Her face was lax, her lips in the awkward straight line, and the bright, big, beautiful blue eyes did not sparkle. The next moment she was up and briskly walked out the door. Hiccup's heart churned; something was wrong.

**oOo**

_He looked at me_. Something inside Astrid was giddy at the thought but it quickly dissolved at the realization that he might be coming after her. She walked away faster; he needed to stay, she had to go. Quickly entering her house, she ran upstairs to her room and curled up in bed. She reveled in the feeling of lying in bed and just resting. At that moment she realized why she was so lugubrious, she was exhausted; drained from everything she had been through in the past week. Guilt quickly sunk in for thinking about herself; the depressed emotion came anew. She turned over and tried to bury herself deeper into the covers eventually falling into a deep sleep.

She woke up late the next morning feeling refreshed; not as depressed as the night before but wasn't happy either. Noting that the window was open, she quickly came to the conclusion that Stormfly must've popped in and, unsuccessfully, tried to arouse her. Outside she could see that it was at least mid-morning considering the amount of Vikings bustling around.

By the time she had eaten breakfast (well, brunch) and completed her household chores it was early afternoon. _Too late for dragon training._ But then she began to wonder if there was any training today; after all Hiccup has only just regained his sight. Well, on the other hand, considering Hiccup, she should wonder why there wouldn't be dragon training today. However, the topic still made her ponder if the teens were concerned about her. Normally, if any of them didn't show up for dragon training, they would ask; yet no one came. She pushed the thoughts aside. _No time to worry about that now._

Astrid grabbed a basket and headed toward the plaza; she had errands to run around town. In the center was a large gathering. Her interest perked, she stopped to listen but it didn't take long for her attention to switch somewhere else. Sticking out of the forge, a half red, half black tail was swishing back and forth. Astrid walked in and spotted him hovering over the table concentrating on something. He was busy on whatever he was working on focusing on that instead of….Astrid wasn't sure what she wanted to think next but she knew what she wanted to do.

Hiccup was intently focusing on his work. He stared down at his open notebook. If he wasn't jotting down ideas as to why Astrid would be depressed, he would be tweaking the sketch of her on the left side of the bind. Sighing, he turned his head slightly to glance toward his dragon who, for some reason, had enlarged excited pupils with an overjoyed smile. Before he could ponder the peculiar expression, he felt a hard impact on the back of his arm. "Ow!" he yelped. Instinctively, he clutched the wounded area and spun around to see none other fleeting away.

Astrid was running towards the woods again; it would be her only hope to escape; she figured Hiccup would be after her. _ If I was trying to avoid him, why did I go up and punch him?! _She reprimanded herself and ran faster. Halfway there, her right arm was suddenly grabbed and she was hosted into the air. Glancing to her right, she could see a large black mass griping her arm. Knowing what was happening, she wouldn't scream; somehow she was used to being dragged through the atmosphere by only a limb. She knew what was coming; she would be abruptly dropped and confronted, again. She didn't feel like talking to Hiccup, her emotions couldn't handle it. The urge to run and hide was prevailing in her chest. Without warning, the dragon swooped down behind the chieftain house and released her to plummet to the ground below before itself alighted. She landed off balance and struggled to gain it; wailing her arms in the air as she wobbled back and forth. Suddenly she stopped. Turning her head to the side, she saw Hiccup supporting her with a goofy grin on his face. She dropped her arms down to her side; Hiccup releasing his grip in the process. Astrid walked away back toward the village. As expected, Hiccup was accompanying her so before he could stop and confront her, she started talking all the while avoiding eye contact.

"You really need to practice on where and how Toothless drops me. First up in a tree, then in front of the Red Death and now behind a house; what's next- on top a mountain? Oh, and you know everyone's deciding what to do with you. You downed a Night Fury, first ever to ride a dragon, defeated the biggest and most monstrous dragon ever seen and somehow live, end a generational war between Vikings and dragons, survive a lightning bolt _ to the head_ mind you, two explosions and somehow regain your sight. You defy death, which is remarkable but it causes us to wonder-"

"Astrid,"

She stopped, turned her head and looked at him. His eyes were clear and intensely green; wide and full of compassion. Instantly her heart softened.

"I want to thank you for all you've done: taking care of me, ensuring my safety, even punching Snotlout in the eye for retribution." He chuckled, her eyes widened in shock. "Being blind doesn't mean you can't see. I may not have seen it with my eyes but I know what you did _for me_. Thank you." He then embraced her. She was surprised, _she _normally made the gesture but this time he did. With a smile, she wrapped her arms around him. Instantly a flood of relief and joy swelled with in her. It was finally over; her nightmare had ended and with this affectionate caress, it had turned into a dream. Releasing each other, they smiled and, with Toothless in toe, walked back to the center or town hand in hand. The large group was now more rambunctious than before.

"What?!" a scratchy voice exclaimed from the center of the gathering. "Ye mean Hiccup was hit by the hammer of Thor?!" the mentioned hero and his companion sighed eyeing each other; one person was on their mind: Mildew. "What more proof do you need to convince yourselves to get rid of those blasted beasts?!"

* * *

Out of the three stories (the sequel, _Bits of Berk_, and the unnamed story) I have pitched, the majority of those who reviewed requested the sequel (most avidly in some cases). However, only one offered me story ideas –thank you Sweattea8 – which mean that it will be _awhile_ before I can upload the first chapter. (I will still take story ideas –hint, hint)

Now, for those of you who questioned me if Hiccup will ever regain his sight, he did. As an enthusiastic HTTYD fan, I could not leave our precious hero blind forever – he has two more movies to make!

Lastly, I would like to thank all those who continually read my story, commented and supported me. Thank you all so much.


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